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The humans lived a nomadic lifestyle wherein paternity was not ascertainable. So to determine paternity, the need for an exclusive union of men & women was felt through social regulation, namely marriage. Thus, the idea of the institution of marriage took over the herd-instinct type of marital relationship. The institution of marriage not only resulted in the stability and development of an individual in their personal lives, family life, and society, as a whole; also, it also conferred the matrimonial rights and duties upon the spouses regarding sex, maintenance, inheritance, etc. And thereafter concepts like legitimacy and rights of children came into the picture. In India, the institution of marriage acquires a prominent and significant place. The unregulated sexual relation (especially without marriage) makes it intolerable and immoral in Indian society. Especially, women who live without marriage and are blessed with motherhood have not only been the continuous subject matter of societal critique but they are also deprived of legal and human rights on this land. Recent developments like live-in relationships have added to the new dimensions of the institution of marriage. The Government, being paren patriae has also made endeavors to protect them and uplift the interests of such unwed mothers and their children through various schemes but the gravity of this issue is neither acknowledged nor any special provisions for them have been made to secure them socially and legally. The social-legal challenges faced by unwed (single) mothers and their children in the era of human rights are ironic. Marriage has grown into a popular and vital institution in India. In Indian society, unrestrained sexual relations (particularly without marriage) are unacceptable and unethical. Women who live without marriage and have children are denied their respective human rights in this country. Despite years of liberal legislation, women lacked equal access to the rights granted to them because of lack of awareness, peer pressure from society, lack of access to legal aid and economic inability, etc. The present article decodes the dynamics of unwed motherhood via issues & challenges in the contemporary legal scenario.